"Wait, I smell someone's blood here. An outsider, hiding in the bushes," I heard the patrol group say. They were looking for me as I tried to cross the border again.

Now I know one thing for sure, I can't stay here any longer. I have to find a new place to live.

Only if I can hide from them this time.

I sighed and leaned against a large tree, trying to cover my bleeding wound with a piece of cloth.

As I wondered how to get out of there, a voice was heard.

"Captain, there's nothing suspicious here."

"All right, let's go back." As I listened to the captain's voice, the footsteps slowly faded away.

I didn't dare stay any longer, so I immediately left the place and ran into the dense forest. I didn't stop until I felt I was no longer being chased.

Looking at the fruit I had, I rolled my eyes when I realized it was only enough for two days. This time, I had very little food, and to get it, I was almost found by the pack and died in the forest.

I had been an outsider for three months, and I was wandering around. To say that this life was almost like hell would be an understatement. I refused to join the group of outsiders because it would only make me sadder.

I ate an apple after washing it in the lake, removed the bandage from my foot, and realized the wound was almost healed. I washed the cloth in a small hole I had dug with my hands and left it to dry on a tree trunk.

Yes, I lived like a wanderer.

"If you're willing to listen to me, you don't have to live like this anymore. I'm telling you, contact Mark. He'll help us. He's part of the council, he's obligated to help us," my conscience, which I've told you all about, reappeared. She hates this nomadic life even more than I do. She's used to a life of luxury, believe me.

My conscience is called Ariana. She claims to be my inner wolf, but I don't believe it. If I had a wolf's soul, I would transform, and I wouldn't be the lantern that everyone hates. I wouldn't suffer so much.

"Have you forgotten that I haven't recharged my phone since... I don't even remember when it was last. I don't have any money, I don't want to go to the city. I would be ashamed to know that they would see me as a different person," I replied before collapsing onto the ground.

Honestly, the idea was very tempting, but I was afraid. I was afraid the council wouldn't want to deal with a lantern that rejected its partner.

"I know you're scared, Lexi, but to live a better life, you have to take risks. Don't you understand that? It won't get any easier as time goes by. If anything, it will get harder every day. You've found your mate. And remember, you're the one who rejected him, not the other way around. In a few months, you'll be in your first heat. It would have happened if it weren't for your light. But remember, after your first period, you'll have your period every month, so what are you going to do about that?" asked Ariana.

"I'll handle everything, no problem. I know what it feels like to be in heat. To speed up the mating process, a female in heat becomes overly excited, feeling a strong sexual desire for her partner, and her partner is attracted to her, and they mate, leading to pregnancy." I rolled my eyes after saying that.

"No, dear, that's where you're wrong. When a female is in heat, her partner and all the single male wolves will be attracted to her. You are a lone wolf in the forest. What do you think will happen when you are in heat? You will not only attract all the outsiders in the area, but also the males in the pack. The pack."

I hate to admit it, but her words got to me.

"I don't know, do you understand? For now, I have to move before they find my trail and follow me," I said before grabbing the bag and fruit I had stolen.

As I walked along the riverbank, I sang a song so I wouldn't feel lonely, because I was bored.

I used to think that traveling was fun and I always wanted to do it alone, but now I don't think so. Traveling is only fun if you have food and shelter. Otherwise, the forest can be your worst nightmare.

After walking for several hours, I opened the group map I had made in geography class. The map was now my greatest help, allowing me to know which group was closest to me.

"This is the Manhattan group. I don't think they ever said they were a dangerous group," I said loudly as I looked east, which would take me to the border.

I set up camp on the riverbank because this was unclaimed land, where no group could claim ownership. I bathed in the river, trying to wash away the dirt and sweat from my body.

I changed my clothes and combed my hair. I was about to eat some stolen fruit when I heard a tree branch break nearby.

I quickly hid behind a tree. I grabbed my knife, ready to attack whoever it was.

"Come on, come out. I see you, pretty girl. Surrender to us or this won't end well for you if we decide to use our strength," I heard one of the three men say.

From their foul smell, I knew they were outsiders. They smelled bad because most outsiders didn't bother to bathe and clean themselves.

"We're asking you nicely, dear. Come out while you still can," I heard a man say.

"What should I do? Should I go or not?" I thought, weighing the consequences. But knowing that being raped was not part of my plan, I came out of hiding.

"Wow, she's hot," said the blond-haired man, making my stomach churn.

"I don't want to hurt you or get in your way. I take care of my life and you take care of yours," I said indifferently.

"That's not what we want, sweetheart. We want you to come with us. Let's have some fun. After that, we'll decide what happens to you," said the brown-haired man, making me look at them with disgust.

"I've been nice to you guys," I said, rolling my eyes before grabbing the dagger and throwing it at the three of them. I was going to stab them right in the heart.

"As if this dagger could hurt us," said the man before pulling the dagger with his hand, making me tilt my head and stare at them with the most serious expression on my face. I tilted my head and stared at them with the most innocent look I could muster.

"I know, but the aconite on that dagger will definitely kill you," I said as one of them started coughing.

"That was pretty quick," I said, taking my dagger and wiping it on their clothes.

While I was cleaning my third dagger, the person in front of me was dying restlessly. I heard another branch break behind me, but before I could turn around and check what it was, I felt something sharp on my neck, making my eyes widen.

"Turn around, stranger," I heard a deep voice that sounded very familiar.

I turned and saw the man holding a large dagger to my neck, and inevitably, I fell silent.

Sebastian's perspective

"Okay, that's it," I said before ending the call with a sigh.

"What else do we have planned for today, Blake?" I asked my beta, Blake, who looked at me with a tired sigh.

Everything had become more exhausting since we became the largest group in the universe. Being at the top was always more dangerous.

I knew he needed rest, and I needed rest too, but I also knew that I needed to increase security tenfold because, along with fame, danger also increased.

I hate being feared by my people because they are my family. However, to outsiders, I have to live up to my name, Sinclair.

"Sebastian, today at the alpha meeting, a new issue came up," Blake said. I looked at him with raised eyebrows, signaling him to continue.

"It's about an outsider who stole food and left without a trace. This outsider killed anyone who crossed paths with her. It's not really something to worry about too much, but if an outsider can enter the group's territory and leave without a trace, it leaves a big question mark for the group's security forces," Blake said, making me frown.

"Do we have any more information about this outsider?" I asked, massaging the area between my eyebrows, fully aware that we had a new problem on our hands, one that could take days to resolve.

To be honest, I don't hate these outsiders. They don't bother me. The number of outsiders I've killed far exceeds the number of days I slept last year, making our group the most dangerous one that has ever existed.

"No. We don't have any information about this outsider," Blake said, making me sigh.

"Besides, one of the council members called today. He said he was afraid there were werewolves living among humans. If we can cover our scent well enough, it's possible, but he said he heard that werewolves also sleep and eat with humans. She even goes to the same university as them."

Hearing this, I threw my chair across the room.

"These outsiders! Why can't they follow the rules? Are the rules so difficult to obey? And who is this werewolf who dares to do this?" I shouted, gasping with anger.

"Let's settle this first," I said, with a strong desire to destroy some outsiders and kill again.

"Alpha, I'm worried that the outsider is studying at the same university you founded so that humans can interact well with both species and remain hidden," said Blake, making my eyes widen.

At the same university I founded? This must be a cruel joke. Living there and breaking the law without us knowing?

"You're joking, right? If she lives in the same area as us, why can't we track her down? Can't our wolves smell other wolves living among humans and breaking the law?" I asked, tapping the table, unable to contain my frustration.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. We'll resolve this issue immediately. Can I go now? Melinda has found her mate and wants me to meet her," Blake said before bowing his head and leaving my office as I waved goodbye.

Mate. A taboo topic for me.

Everyone had found their partner, and so had I.

But...

At that time, I was only eighteen years old and was on a business trip with my father.

After meeting Alpha Killian and discussing a new alliance, my father went with him to the office to sign some documents. Since I didn't need to accompany them, I chose to stay behind.

I turned around and decided to take a walk, trying to calm my nerves and the wolf inside me that was feeling stressed that day.

As soon as I left their house, I felt it.

My mate.

The wolf inside me let out a happy snort.

Smiling and calming my wolf, I began to sniff around, searching for my mate, and soon found her, leaning against a tree.

From her size and scent, I knew she was an omega. But that didn't matter to me. As long as she was my mate, that was enough. We weren't cowards. We loved our mates no matter what.

However, as I approached her, I caught another scent mixed with hers, the scent of an outsider.

It could only mean one thing.

She had slept with one of them.

The pain hit me brutally. My inner wolf felt it too, a deep sense of betrayal.

But I still held onto hope. Maybe she did it because she had to. Maybe she was forced. Or maybe she couldn't find me, and now, when I told her I was her mate, she would stay with me.

With a wave of hope and newfound confidence, I stepped closer to her. She must have sensed my presence because when I was still standing a little way off, her eyes widened before looking in my direction.

Her big blue eyes pierced my soul as I walked quickly closer.

"My mate!" I exclaimed loudly. "Hello, dear. My name is Sebastian. I am the future Alpha of the Blood Moon pack. What is your name?" I asked in such a soft voice that even I didn't know I was capable of speaking like that.

"Don't bother me! I don't want you! I don't want an Alpha as my partner! No! No!" the girl screamed. Every word cut deeper into me.

"Honey, I won't hurt you. I'm your partner. My job is to love you," I said as I let go of my embrace, afraid that my strength would hurt her.

"I don't want anything to do with you! I reject you! I don't want you as my partner!" she screamed right in my face before running away.

Her words were so cruel and painful that they paralyzed me.

How could a girl be so cruel? How could a wolf be so heartless to her partner? How could she reject me without even knowing me?

She didn't mention my name or hers when she rejected me, so the rejection process wasn't complete. To find the answers to the questions haunting me, I followed her.

For an omega, she was incredibly fast. However, when I finally found her, what I saw was something I never imagined, something that left a deep wound in my heart.

She was leaning against a tree, with another man's organ inside her, and they were exchanging pleasure.

I growled, ready to attack the stranger who was sleeping with my partner right in front of my eyes, but then the man slit her throat with a knife.

If the previous scene hadn't shaken me enough, that scene destroyed me completely.

I ran towards her and hugged her, crying because there was nothing I could do to save her. The silver knife coated with aconite would not allow her wounds to heal.

I watched her die in my arms.

I cried in silence for a few moments until my wolf forced me to stop and control myself. His calmness felt strange. Perhaps he was heartbroken and hated what our partners had done to us.

But I was different.

I wanted her. I wanted my love. I wanted the only person who should love me to stay alive.

From that day on, outsiders and omegas became species I could hate, especially outsiders.

I respected the omegas in my pack, but I would never forgive outsiders. One of them had stolen my only chance at love.

I was jolted back to the present when my phone rang.

"Hello? Alpha Sebastian? We have more information about the outsider hiding in the forest and stealing. They say she became an outsider after rejecting an Alpha," said the council chairman.

His words shook my mind, and my anger erupted.

It seems... today I have to go hunting.

Alexis's point of view

"Mmm... I like it... ohh..." I moaned, enjoying the sensation as it melted in my mouth.

"Be quiet. You have to concentrate, okay? It's hard to make you moan like that." The man who was making me happy said with a smile.

"I thought it was just about muscles, but it turns out you really have skill with your hands. What else can you do with those hands?" I couldn't help but ask.

He was just about to answer when the door to the room we were in burst open.

"Guys, can you keep it down? I'm studying, for God's sake. And Alexis, watch how you talk. If anyone hears you, they'll think you're having sex, not eating." The girl, or rather, my new friend, yelled while glaring at me, which only made me laugh. Her pouty expression was really entertaining.

"But he cooks really well. Come here and try it. The pasta he made... it tastes... mmm..." I said before spooning some pasta into my own mouth.

"Hey, you really have no manners! Oh, by the way, there's a letter for you. It's in this box, placed in front of our door. Can you see it? I didn't find the sender's name. It seems to be from one of your other admirers." Audrey said with a mischievous smile, then kissed her boyfriend, the one who cooked this delicious pasta, before joining in the meal as well.

As I tore open the envelope, whose scent felt familiar, I looked at the letter and smiled slightly. A secret admirer. Nothing new. I knew exactly what it contained, a list of rules I had broken this month. After reading it, I opened the gift box and froze, surprised to see a jade pendant neatly placed inside. Well, this was clearly not a bad letter.

"Wow, it's so beautiful! Do you know or suspect anyone who might have sent this to you? It's strange that a letter doesn't have a sender's name. I mean, if someone gives a girl a gift this expensive, at least they want the girl to know who sent it," said Audrey, gesturing dramatically with her hands.

"Take it easy, honey. It looks like our Lexi has a secret admirer. And from the smile on her face, I think that admirer has a chance. I mean, just look at this gift," said Shane before sitting down next to his girlfriend.

Watching the two of them, I could only shake my head slowly. They were the sweetest people I had ever met. Honestly, I was proud of my decision to come here and stay with this sweet couple, even if it meant breaking a few rules.

I didn't care.

I became bolder, stronger, and far more sarcastic than before.

I like myself better now. I used to be too wise, too loving, too humble, and too emotional. All things that now feel exhausting. Apparently, living freely outside the house for almost a year does have its advantages.

I noticed the stamp at the bottom of the letter and on top of the gift box. Even though I already knew, it was clearly from the council. Audrey and Shane were certainly not to blame for not knowing what the council was, or who sat on it.

They were human.

Truly human. And I lived with them, people who even knowing our identity was considered a grave sin in my community.

But here I was now, living peacefully with them, sleeping under the same roof, eating the same food. And yes, I also attended the same college as them.

That was my first violation. Instead of attending a werewolf university, I chose a human university with not a single werewolf in it. I heard that the alpha of the Blood Moon pack founded this university, but he rarely comes, making it the perfect hiding place for me. I did break some rules, but even if the council found out, they couldn't do much about it.

All of this was easy for me because I was a lantern, and my scent was perfectly concealed by the pendant Mark had given me that day.

Eight months ago, when I killed my first victim, or rather, my first three victims, the person who had pointed a dagger at me turned out to be Mark.

That day...

After I killed the outsider, I felt the tip of the dagger press against my body. I turned around, ready to see who it was, but before I could recognize him, I heard that voice.

"I finally found you, my omega."

That deep, hoarse voice made me scream in surprise, then I spontaneously turned around and hugged Mark, who immediately hugged me back.

"Don't think I'll let you get away with just hugging me! What do you mean, Alexis? How could you do this to me after all my efforts to ensure you lived peacefully? Why didn't you ever tell me that you were being treated so badly?" he said, looking at me disappointedly, then continuing without pause.

"And most importantly, why didn't you call me when your partner cheated on you and you rejected him? Who told you to run away? Why didn't you call me when you were training in the forest to become an outsider? Didn't I tell you to open that box when you needed help? I'm sure you didn't even care. Do you know how hard I looked for you? I even spread your information to all the groups and asked them to look for you. Do you know how dangerous it was ..."

Hearing his chatter, I felt warm inside, like I was coming home. For the past four years, he was the only man who treated me like a normal person, not a disabled person. My eyes welled up, and I hugged him tightly.

"I was afraid you would hate me. And honestly, that makes sense. I rejected my partner. I'm just a lantern, I thought the council didn't care about me anymore, and I didn't want to lose you either. So I chose to leave before I was abandoned again because of this situation," I said, turning my face away, unable to look at him.

"Alexis, are you serious?" Mark said, turning me around to look him in the eye.

"Do you think I was desperately looking for you just because my father told me to? I really care about you. Can't you see that? Besides, we already knew you would reject your partner. Last year, on his birthday, we knew he was your partner. If you haven't realized it, since then I've visited him more often than in the previous three years," he said, making my eyes widen.

"So... you knew everything from the beginning? Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered.

Deep down, I already knew the answer.

"We didn't tell you because we knew you wouldn't be able to handle rejection at seventeen, especially without the strength and support of the wolf you have now."

"The wolf... is mine?" I asked softly.

"You never really thought you didn't have it, did you?"

"So I do have the wolf?"

"You'll know when the time is right."

"Now, let's go back to the council house. I'll watch over you until you know what you want to do," said Mark, making me roll my eyes.

After successfully escaping from that damn group, did he really think I would just give up my freedom? Of course not.

"I'm not going with you."

"What do you mean you're not coming?"

I explained my decision.

"I want to go to a human university and get a degree. I want to live like a normal human, not a werewolf who can't change. I want to live among humans, where I'm treated as an equal, not a disgrace. And I want to be in a place where my beauty is appreciated. If werewolves don't want me, so what? This world isn't inhabited by just one species."

I knew he didn't like the decision, but he had to accept it. Now I was an outsider.

"Alright. But I will determine the boundaries of the territory you can and cannot explore."

"Alright, Father," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Don't call me that," he said with a dark face, making my cheeks flush.

"Here, take this pendant. I have a feeling you won't want to come with me. This pendant will hide your scent perfectly," he said as he hung it around my neck, then kissed the corner of my lips softly.

How I wished Mark was my partner. But the Moon Goddess seemed to prefer toying with fate and my happiness.

"Remember this. No matter what happens, you can always count on me," he said before hugging me tightly.

"By the way, have you heard about this?" Audrey's voice interrupted my thoughts, her mouth still full of noodles.

"About what?"

"If you stop thinking about food for a moment, maybe you can listen," my conscience admonished.

"She's talking about the university founder's sudden visit. She said he wants to make sure everything is running smoothly," Shane explained, making me frown.

The founder?

Isn't that Alpha, the leader of the most dangerous group, Alpha Sebastian?

Is he coming? Why?

Has my cover been blown? Or is this just a routine visit?

Whatever the reason, I won't let him know who I am. I don't want to die yet.

"You guys go ahead, I feel a little nauseous," I said, pretending.

That excuse always works.

"The deans have announced that no one is allowed to be absent tomorrow. Anyone who skips class will get a hundred points," said Audrey.

A hundred points?

My eyes widened.

This must be a joke. If that happens to me, I'll only need twenty more points to fail completely. I could fail this semester and have to repeat it.

Maybe... if I can avoid the alpha, I can still save myself.

Moon Goddess, you always know how to make everything complicated, don't you?